


Layers

by electrageira



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Armitage Hux Has Issues, Armitage Hux Needs A Hug, Character Development, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, M/M, No Spoilers, Protective Poe Dameron
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2019-03-11 23:51:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13535202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/electrageira/pseuds/electrageira
Summary: When the last straw took away all remnants of Hux’s patience (he really didn't even remember what it had been, or if it would be worth defection) he simply took his holopad, with every secret, every plan and every useful information about  the First Order,  requisitioned a TIE and sent his personal code with a brief message to General Organa.It wasn't really about redemption, or some guilt or anything. He just wanted to make Ren pay for playing with what was Hux’s.He was met at the rendez-vous point by that stupid, annoying, arrogant and awfully good looking space cowboy that was Poe Dameron.





	Layers

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first fanfiction and English is not my first language. I really like constructive criticism and anything you could point me out to improve myself.  
> A very very enormous thank you goes to my wonderful beta, Lady_Vibeke, for all the support and encouragement. And for being an amazing and inspiring author. I owe you at least a couple of dinners! So please, kill me after I've paid my debt!
> 
> Please note: I wrote down this story in one day, following a new acquired muse, probably too high on sugar. Found out by chance this pairing and here we are. That's why constructive criticism is not only appreciated but needed.

It was one of those rare, calm afternoons, when no signals came up on the screen, when the base on one of Felucias’ moons was strangely calm but still buzzing with plans. At least there was no imminent battle in sight and everyone was appreciating some downtimes moments. Not that anyone could afford the luxury of laziness, x-wings were always to be tended, pianification needed to be made and procedures reviewed. But at least there was no hurry.  
Hux loved those quiet moments, he had always enjoyed them. When he had been General Hux, he used to take great pride and a generous amount of self indulgence in rallying the troops, the TIE fighters and making everything run smoothly. Then Darth Tantrum had had that blasted idea to kill Snoke, chase Rey across the galaxy and ruin everything Hux had ever made. Ruin his First Order, blast every effort to bring order and a proper sense to the galaxy. Ren literally dismembered Hux’s treasured army. Used the stormtroopers for his personal interest. Why did he have to use Hux’s playground to tame his internal conflict?

  
When the last straw took away all remnants of Hux’s patience (he really didn't even remember what it had been, or if it would be worth defection) he simply took his holopad, with every secret, every plan and every useful information about the First Order, requisitioned a TIE and sent his personal code with a brief message to General Organa.  
It wasn't really about redemption, or some guilt or anything. He just wanted to make Ren pay for playing with what was Hux’s.  
He was met at the rendez-vous point by that stupid, annoying, arrogant and awfully good looking space cowboy that was Poe Dameron. ‘ _Oh, that's going to be such fun_!’ Thought Hux, a hint of malice still in his eyes. ‘ _General Hugs my ass! Here we are, Dameron, we’re going to play by my rules._ '

  
And in the end, Hux found out that he was very wrong in his assumptions.

  
In took him some months, in which he proved to be an invaluable asset to the rebellion cause. Not only did he bring all the knowledge of the First Order, but also all the plans for the following six months, some of the hindsight on communication and chyphring for al least a couple of cycles (not more, codes were changed as soon as they were used. It had been his idea). After some time his proposals were widely accepted among the Rebellion’s chain of command. And Leia started to even like him and accept his help.  
Because Armitage Hux, former general of the First Order, was now high in the ranking of rebel scums too.

  
It took a while to be accepted by Rey and Finn and still after seven months he earned disdain and hateful eyes from Rose. But still, for once, he was truly finding a real meaning in his life, a real place were his abilities were appreciated, orders executed and his ideas not ruined by the tantrums of an overgrown child like Ren. Working for Ren’s mother was redeeming. She never, ever stopped reminding him of the Hosnian system, not that Hux would ever forget that, but at least, she gave him a second chance. A chance of atoning his crime and prove some good willing. Probably, after all these months with rebels, he had started to think and act as one of them.

  
The craziest thing? He was often paired with Dameron, no… with Poe. Smiling and biting his lower lip, thinking about the pilot, Hux recalled how they got to their current situation.  
It started with hate, then some of this hate became spiteful comments and sarcastic remarks, then a sort of professional appreciation for their jobs, which lead to planning missions, unwinding together after the X-wing squad returned to base. It was a crescendo of trust and appreciation. A flourishing friendship.

  
Until when, after a daring mission, in which Poe ignored Hux by switching off the radio, got almost taken down by a TIE and returned to base with a severely damaged wing, no gunning system and fuel barely enough to reach the hangar, things changed.

  
Abruptly.

  
And very welcomed by both.

  
Hux was in the hangar, enraged, his face red with hate and fear, his eyes scanning Poe in search of any physical injuries. ' _He's quite a sight_ , thought Poe, appreciating the now longer red hair and the beard the ginger had started growing some time ago, just to mark a full stop from the ever pristine First Order General Hux. ' _He’s quite a sight and I was almost going to lose him'._  
“Dameron, are you crazy?” Hux barked while approaching the x-wing: “ I told you not to attack from the port side, never attack from the port side. You are just a stupid… dumb… oaf!” Poe barely had the time to dismount the ladder when Hux’s hand collided with his cheek. ' _Force, he is damn strong'_ : “this is for being an idiot, hell of a pilot my ass, you're just a dick-head!” _yeah, he probably was._ And this anger was to be expected. Poe, again, had been on the verge of losing most of the fighters and the bombers. If Hux was enraged, Poe didn't want to meet Leia. Those steel eyes were worse than the physical pain from Hux’s suckerpunch.

  
What Poe didn't expect were Hux’s lips, soft, pliant and marvelous on his own lips. It was one of the sweetest kisses he had ever received, it was full of love and fear. He never understood all that fuss about welcome kisses, but now, now was not the time for his brain to process it. He simply enjoyed the kiss, every subtle layer of it, every unspoken word it carried, every relief it brought. It was the best kiss he had ever had. “ _finally, finally, it took you long enough, Armitage. But we're in this together!_ ”

  
They separated when some coughs and little laughs were heard, one from Leia too.

  
Foreheads touching, Poe whispered: “ and this, what was this for?” “This was for coming home to me! don't be reckless again. Never, please, never again”. If Poe saw some moist in Hux’s eyes, he didn't mention that.

  
From that day on, Poe had a real reason to come back in one piece from missions, to care for his life and not endanger anyone else. He got to know many private layers of Hux too, all those little things one finds out in his loved. Like how Hux slept with some kind of light on, or the many nightmares he had (sometimes Ren’s name would come out, other times some enraged mumbling about Hux’s father). How he really loved to be held ( _General Hugs, I was right about it_! Thought Poe the first time he found himself with a sleepy Hux in his arms, their legs entwined, red freckles a stark contrast on that alabaster skin, marred by a few lovebites). He started to love all the layers of Hux’s character, how he needed to physically unwind the tension after a stressful day, how he was almost paranoid when planning missions against the First Order in which he knew Ren could participate. He loved also Hux’s anger, frustration and tried to tame his sense of guilt.  
“We 're all assassins, Leia gave you a second chance.” Poe told him one day. “ There's a huge difference between assassin and genocide! And that because I was trying to be worth something in my father's eyes.”  
Poe knew better than to keep on with that conversation. He was there, whenever Armitage needed him. Whenever Armitage was ready.

  
One thing that Poe would have never imagined about Hux was his need to be comforted and some jealousy he had for BB-8. Probably because said droid had had Poe’s full attention and full care after a long mission, in which BB-8 had been partially damaged by a short-circuit. Hux knew that probably it had helped saving Poe’s life, but still, the droid now was ok, couldn't Poe simply put it in charge-mode and tend to Hux as well? No, space cowboy was happy enough with playing with BB-8, scratching his round body and earning happy bleeps in return.  
“You two, please shut up!” was Hux’s snarky remark at the umptenth bleep and following laugh: “I’m trying to finish your mission report!”  
“Oh come on Hugs, we deserve some fun! It's been some trying days!” Answered Poe, followed by one of BB-8 chirps: "Oh, you tell me! Because I wasn't the one at the control console, was I? Hoping that Kylo Ren hasn't changed his fight modus, hoping Mitaka hasn't changed his, either. I’m tired Poe, and you know that! I have told you before.” Was Hux’s laconic answer. He kept on typing the report on his holopad, until felt the bed dip and the pad was placed on their nightstand. “You're jealous I’m tending to BB and not to you! Well, ok, you're quite the same, similar colours too. I’d never guessed, maybe you're ticklish like him too!” At which the pilot started tickling Hux’s sides, earning an undignified squeak from Hux and some barely concealed laughs: “Do you yield, General?!” Poe’s happy and boyish grin went out as he saw Hux’s eyes. “I’m no general, not anymore. The only general here is Leia.”

  
The General-thing was not something Hux liked to talk about. Whenever the topic arised, he was fast enough to change subject; and private conversations about the First Order weren't in Hux’s liking, too. So Poe simply manoeuvred them to lay in the bed, Hux in his arms. BB-8 chirped briefly beside them. Both Poe and Hux puffed a laugh: “as BB has pointed out, Leia is more than enough as a general. Still you are, and ever will be, my General Hugs. But I’m not denying that part of your life. You wouldn't be here, if you had not been the First Order’s General Hux. It's part of you, it will always be. Sometimes it's difficult for me, as it is for you, to accept it. But you're here, you're helping us. That's what matters!”  
Poe didn't press further, he knew all of Hux’s troubles and his new found need for a second chance. He knew when it was time to finally shut up. To simply hold Hux, murmuring sweet nonsense in his ginger hairs, grounding him in the needy moments.

  
They were changing, they were growing together. When the war was over, they would have all the time in the galaxy to deal with their past.  
Now, they only needed their bickering, their hugs, their kisses, their routine, their stolen moments before missions. For now, and right now, Poe needed to pass his fingers through Hux’s now long hair, after they made love, to keep on tickling Hux’s sides and make him laugh, to remind him to never be jealous over a droid.

  
And that he would be back home after every mission.


End file.
